Driftwood, like many other natural aquarium decorations, can enhance the atmosphere of your tank and improve its aesthetic appeal. But there are a few key things to consider before introducing this beautiful element.

Some Great Benefits of Driftwood

Instead of garish plastic sunken boats or castles, driftwood can lend a natural touch to any underwater environment. Not to mention a side benefit is the promotion of beneficial bacteria to reduce the influence of potentially toxic compounds thereby making a healthier fish population. Since the wood can leech tannins into the water, your inhabitants receive an extra boost to their immune systems to keep viruses and other common diseases at bay.

In addition, driftwood can yield slightly acidic water conditions to buffer and maintain the right pH balance for a healthy habitat. This can promote better, more natural fish behavior including playing, hiding and breeding while you watch your fish thrive.

Preparing Your Tank Before Hand

Since any tank environment is a fragile ecosystem, you’ll want to start the process of introducing sterilized driftwood by preparing the pieces you chose before adding them to your tank. Be sure to purchase those that are labeled specifically for aquarium use as they will not contain harmful chemicals or preservatives that could inflict harm on your fish population. Buying this material at a landscape supply or rock quarry can present problems you want to avoid.

How to Sterilize Driftwood for any Aquarium

1. Use a clean brush to remove all dirt or debris before fully submerging. To sterilize your driftwood, submerge it into boiling water for one to two hours and cooling back to the temperature of your tank. This process will encourage the curing process, killing any fungal spores, particles or algae that can impact your fish when introduced into the aquarium. 

2. After boiling your driftwood, place it in a large enough container that is clean without any soap or chemicals. To lessen the oncoming discoloration and ensure that you water parameters stay the same, fully submerge the driftwood in either discarded aquarium water from previous changes or fresh dechlorinated water for a minimum of 1 week to ensure it is fully saturated. 

We recommend using aquarium water that would normally be discarded during your normal water change for a period of time will water and help keep it from floating in your tank. Some larger pieces may require attachment to a rock back to keep it submerged and placed in the tank where you want it to stay. The longer the driftwood is submerged, the less tannins it will release once placed into the tank. With some patience and planning,  you can have a beautiful aquascape for you and your aquatic pets.  

Dealing with Driftwood Tannins

When adding driftwood to an aquarium the very first time, tannins (chemical compounds of plant material) are released into the water and cause it turn a muddy brown color.  This process can be unsightly for owners but it’s a natural and safe process that happens when adding driftwood. If you don’t like the look of this, you are welcome to leach your driftwood prior to placing it into your aquarium.

Leaching is a process in which you submerge the driftwood in a container that covers the entire piece and do daily water change until the water color remains clear. Once again it’s best to use water from your tank, that would be discarded during your normal water changes, for this as it will duplicate the conditions the driftwood will be kept in. 

Conclusion

In order to look its very best, we recommend researching different types of aquarium-safe driftwood to see which will bring out their aesthetic qualities alongside your pets. Driftwood also has the tendency to take up a large portion and may cause a bit of stress when rearranging. You can also position the driftwood vertically for smaller sized tanks, it’s important to experiment and visualize your aquascape before finalizing with the new inhabitants.

Hikari® offers a variety of water quality solutions to help your tank look and smell its best. From Aquatic pumps, to non-toxic dechlorinators and resin ornaments for freshwater or saltwater tanks, Hikari® has highly effective products that have been developed to maintain excellent water quality.